Significados da morte: o discurso da imprensa sobre crimes que "abalaram" o Brasil

Abstract

This research reflects on how the media retracted the deaths that have become, due to its effect in the Brazilian press, symbols of violent crimes in such country. The deaths of Daniella Perez, Tim Lopes, João Hélio and Isabella Nardoni are studied from a sociological point of view, based on a comprehensive analysis perspective. As a methodological resource, these events were investigated, from 2008 to 2011, from online contents available on the Internet. The review of available contents privileged the material produced by the Brazilian press available on websites that store and allow access to narratives, speeches and arguments about each of the crimes. The understanding of these contents was based on a critical analysis of speeches produced by multiple instances of news production and broadcast in various media. Each case was studied in its specificity and also allowed a joint analysis of systematicities pertaining to the press work in developing news and meanings about the analyzed crimes. It was observed how the press constructs forms of crime representation from arguments that involve the social recognition of the victims and accused of committing their deaths. It was verified how the media are spaces of political struggle for the establishment of truth and justice in relation to each of the crimes. Furthermore, it was evidenced that news, to the Brazilian press, are ways to communicate, discuss and question on the moral principles underlying the law democratic societies. In this research, it was observed that, when speaking of the deaths, the production instances speak, especially, of lives of people involved in the event. While concerned with communicating the death of a person, the producers of news report to multiple social issues, portraying the subjective aspects that involve each of the cases. By narrating the deaths of Daniella, Tim, João and Isabella, the Brazilian press dwelt on issues surrounding its implementation, printing series of neglected and revealed aspects according to the logic of what the press wants to hide and show on its contents. The ways of communicating the analyzed deaths are permeated with arguments that seek to create a way to see, feel, perceive and act regarding crime in Brazil.